Indicator for illustrating and signaling the route of a vehicle.



a P. PAPINI. INDICATOR FOR ILLUSTRA IIING AND SIGNALING THE ROUTE OF A VEHICLE.

- APPLIOATION rmnn 114 .13, 1911'.

1,112,086. Patented'SeptL29,1914.

4 BEEETSSHEET 1.

"Fig.1"

P. PAPINII 1 INDICATOR FOR ILLUSTRATING AND SIGNALING THE ROUTE OF A VEHICLE.

' APPLIQA-TION FILED MAR. 13, 1911- I 1,1 1 2,086; Patented se t. '29, 1914.

(sums-sum 2L P. PAPINI.

INDICATOR FOR ILLUSTRATING AND SIGNALING THE ROUTE OF A VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 13, 1911- Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

'1 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Fi i

P. PAPINI. INDICATOR roa ILLUSTRATING AND SIGNALING" THE ROUTE or A VEHICLE. v APPLICATION FILED MAR'.13,-19l1- i 1,1 12,086, Patented Sept. 29, 1914 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

To all whom it may concern:

D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PIO P APINI', OF FLORENCE, ITALY.

rumoaron non rnLUs'rnA'rINo AND srenanm'e THE noun: or A VEHICLE.

Specification 01' Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

Application filed March 13, 1911. Serial No. 614,228.

Be itknown that I, Pro PAPIivI, a subject of the King of Italy, and residing at 1 Piazza Signoria, Florence, Italy, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Indicators for Illustrating and'Sig naling the Route of a Vehicle, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

The present invention refers to a device by which the occupants of a vehicle may be informed of and made acquainted with the interestin particulars of the route along which t ey are traveling. This is obtained in the following manner: The noteworthy points are marked on a band which unwinds with a motion synchronous with that of the vehicle, and, at theirapproach, actuates suitable signals. By the same device the driver of the vehicle may be advised beforehand of steep ascents and descents, sharp turnings,

level crossings, etc, or which way to takewhen coming to a cross-road, and'of any other particulars of which warning might be useful.

The present invention may be carried into.

I effect in many different ways, but-only one form of construction is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which v Figure 1 is a front elevation of the apparatus. Figs. 2 and 3 are side views of the same seen from the right and left sides respectively. Fig. 4.- is a view of the interior, back of the front plate, the spool 19 being shown in dotted lines. Fig. 5 is a cross sec tion. Fig. 6 is a detail drawing of the band, 33 and spool 19. Fig. 7 is a section on the line w zv of Fig. 4;, looking toward the right. In the form of construction shown in these drawings the above mentioned purposes are obtained by causing a band33, which may, .be of the nature of a kinematograph film or made of celluloid, paper, linen,-metal or any other suitable material, to unwind in a convenient way, as, for example, from thespool is shown in' Fig. 6, serve two purposes which are obtained by purely mechanical means,

without the use of any electrical. device whatever. Electrical mechanism is very apt to get out of order especially if. worked in the open aicWhere'it-may be afiected by' .'One

straig t'ahead. Thus',":ing tactics, 'nals'which ought to be inar ed .on the band dust, dirt or lubricating oil. To achieve the I first of these purposes, all the particulars of the route are reproduced on these hands by convenient means, so that, upon the bands unwinding in conformity with the. progression of the vehicle, these particulars will come in sight and be displayed. For the second purpose, the bands are provided with holes 33*,the edges of whichcome into contact, according to the particulars of the route to which attention is to be drawn, with some suitable signal operating device. This arrangement consists of small nods 21, pivoted at one end, and the knobs 24, which actuate them. When a knob, over which the band slides, encounters a hole, the corresponding rod is displaced by a spring 23'. These decal, acoustic or other suitable signals to draw the attention of the occupants of the vehicle, beforehand, to the difierent particulars of the route. If dilferentsignals are used according as for example a bridge, amonument etc., is to be announced, the nature of the approaching point will be made known. The .knobs 24 are rounded on their upper surfaces, and barelyenter the ,slots in the band, so as not to interfere with the movement of the latter, which rides over the knobs.

part of the band may be used for advertisements etc., which may be in relation with and make use of the particulars of the road for which the band. is designed so as to call attention to hotels, to workshops, garages etc., at the moment the car passes them.

The band. unwinds behind a frame '1, whichkeeps it evenly. pressed against the front wall of the case containing the apparatus, and behind a window 2.

If the apparatus is to announce-only those particulars of the road whichit might be useful forthe, driver of the vehicle to be warned of, the band would contain only the arrangements to actuate those signals. Itv

would thus serve to advise the driver of steep ascents'or 'descents, of sharp turnin of level crossings etc., andto indicate to hlm which direction to take when coming "to cross-roads, different signals telling him to turn to theright'o'r left res e'ctlvely, ,while no si al, in this case, we mean to go the sig so as to be actuated before coming to the various obstacles are slow down to the right and to the left. I

The band 33, is .provided at its edge with holes 34: in which work two sets of teeth on the rims of an adequate number of rollers and with elongated holes 33 of different lengths for the passage of a knob 24. In the form of execution shown inthe drawings (Figs. 4 and 5) the apparatus is provided 'with two such rollers 11 and 12, of which one (in the drawing 11) is the driving wheel rotating with a speed proportional to that of the wheels or of the propelling system of the vehicle. The other roller merely guides the band. a

It is necessary that the spool, which receives the band, should at all times rotate with a peripheral speed identical with that of the driving roller 11. Since, however,

the periphery of the spool, 19, increases to keep the band tight. Any other suitable non-rigid transmission, however, may serve this purpose, and it would also be possible to use the driving roller. itself as the receiving spool. Motion is imparted to this roller through speed reducing gear consisting (at toothed wheels, as in the case shown, or of a belt or 01" any other suitable device. Its

.niotion may be obtained from the wheels or from the propelling system of the vehicle, the connection being obtained through a flexible shaft 5, t it. the present example, or by any other suitable means. The transmitted motion must be kept unaltered in direction and its speed reduced in a'uniform proportion.

The band nust, from the beginning,

anticipate by a certain distance the particulars it illustrates and announces, and for the following: two reasons, it is necessarythat a suitable device should be provided to allow of this advance being regulated. Since the conditions, under which a vehicle travels, vary the amount of the advance ought to be variable. In a fog, for instance, or-when the vehicle is going at a great speed theolostacleswill have to be announced earlier than on a fine day or when the vehicle is driven ata moderate speed. And

while-the length of the band is fixed and always proportional to the length of the road, the number of revolutions of the wheels necessary for a vehicle to cover a certain distance is not constant.

It is impossible that the vehicle should always follow the center line of the road, deviations being I unavoidable. Besides, the wheels may skid, and with pneumatic tires'the diameter varies accordin to the degree of inflation. The band wi 1, therefore, asa rule increase the advance in regard to the particulars, and for this reason a device must be provided to bring the band back to the desired point whenever this is necessary. must be brought back to the desired point afterhaving disengaged the mechanism,for the moving of the band, from the parts from which it derives its motion and also from those other parts which, as will be hereafter cxplained may derive their motion from this mechanism. This disconnecting device is constructed and works in the following way: The toothed wheels orc mounted in a frame consisting of two parallel walls, 35 and 36, which are connected at their ends. This frame is provided with two holes for the cylindrical guides G and 6" while a third hole receives a screw ending in a button 6 which projects from the case containing the apparatus. If this screw is turnedby means of its button, the frame slides on the guides 6 and 6". The bow piece 31, can be turned by means of the button 3;, which is keyed to its axle and which projects outside the case, until its planeis normal to the wall of the case on which it is pivoted. It thus depresses the levers 21, and prevents themiron'i pressing against the band, and their knobs from' ging with the holes. The driving roller, 11, and the receiving spool, 19, are now quite free. The roller, 11, may be turned by means of a suitable crank fixed on its axle, 7, which projects outside the case and the band 33, may be wound 'on to the spool.

If a great part of the band has to be unwound, for instance, in order to examine it, it is suilicient to turn, by means of suitable keys, the rollers, 19 and 20 whose axles project from the case in and 30,

Some provision must be made for the easy removal of the bands from the receiving spool, in order to change them. This is obtained in the following way: The band wound on to" one of'the spools and access to the spool, 19, is obtained by opening the door, 29, on the right hand side of the ease. The ends of this spool consist of two disks pierced by the axle and connected by a cross piece 19 (Fig. 6) on wlich the disk near the outside of the aq'n'nnratus pivoted. This disk need only be turned about its pivot in order to extract tho rolled up band and replace it by another, The disks on spools l9 and 20 are loosely inounted, so that the spools can turn without turning the disks.

To obtain this object, the band It will 'be seen that this a paratus may be used as a guide for the rivers of vehicles on roads unknown to them. Thus it -will not be necessary to stop-the vehicle or slow down in order to consult the map or right to the left and slow down and the one for theoccupants ofthe car noticeable particulars of'the road indicated respectively by the letters D, S, R, and V.

- These signs consist offour disks of different color, each of them carried by one;

of the four levers 21,'which are pivoted'in 22. When a hole 33 .in the band passes before a'knob 24 of one of theselevers, the latter, acted on by its springs '23, rotates and the disk 25 appears through a suitable hole 25, in the front of the casing containing the apparatus.

' site the knobs 24, in the wa Suitable counter-holes 3, provided oppol of the casing and in the frame placed on it, permit these knobs to pass through the holes .in the band.

During this motion the ,end 26 of the lever comes into contact with and rrfoves' the small rod, 27, causing a bell, 28, to ring and announce the appearance of a-signal.

15, 15 represent the graduated dials of a cyclometer, the indexes of which are op-' eratedfrom'a suitable train of speed" reducin gearing, receivmgmotion from shaft -7. ,T is train, which is supported in an adjustable frame composed 0 parallel walls 41, 42, connected at the base, isadjusted by means of a button 16 projecting through the frame of-=the apparatus.

9 designates a tachometer, with which the apparatus may be equipped, and whichreceives motion from a suitablemovii'lg part.

9 is the indicating scale and 9 the travel ing index of the tachometer.

' to said levers.

provided with holes, a frame before the By combining two or' three signals it is possible to give, with a limited number of signals, additional information.

'I claim 1. In a route indicator for vehicles, two spools adapted to travel in synchronism with the motion of the vehicle a route signalin band traveling between the two spools and provided with holes, mechanism for conveying motion to the band from the wheels of the vehicle, a plurality of pivotally arranged levers, knobs on said levers adapted to enter the said holes without obstructing the movement of'the band, springs to kee the knobs in'contact with the said band an signals actuated by the said levers, means for dis connecting the band moving mechanism from the parts from which it derives its tion to the band, said means consisting of a pivoted bow piece arranged transversely 2. In a route indicator for vehicles, two spools adapted to travel in synchronism w1th the motion of the vehicle, means for imparting motion to said spools in unison with the 75 motion of the vehicle a route signalin band traveling between the two spools an provided with holes, a case having a front wall froiit wall, provided with holes and formingj with the said ..wall a slit for guidmg and flattening the band, a window in the -sa'id frame to make the band visible, pivot ally arranged levers to slide along the said band, knobs on the said levers adapte to enter the'holes in the band, the front all and the frame, and signals actuated-by the said levers.

In witness whereof I, said Pro PAPINI, have signed this specification at Florenc 9 in the Kingdom of Italy this 20th day 0 February 1911.

PIO PAPINI. [1,. s.] In the presence of two witnesses:

Bovmssom RAFFAELLO Jns'rmonn, GHAnLEs L. BoLo mim JEs'nMoNE. 

